November 13, 2017

Six-dollars for a loaf of bread?

Over the weekend I read a fascinating article that illustrated the subjectivity of wealth.

In a nutshell, the super rich people interviewed for the article don’t consider themselves affluent even though they have multi-millions of dollars at their disposal.

Why?

Because they have plenty of friends who are much richer.

Here’s a typical excerpt:

When I used the word “affluent” in an email to a stay-at-home mom with a $2.5 million household income, a house in the Hamptons and a child in private school, she almost canceled the interview, she told me later. Real affluence, she said, belonged to her friends who traveled on a private plane.

Here’s another classic:

Another woman told me about a child she knew of whose father had taken the family on a $10,000 vacation; afterward the child had said, “It was great, but next time we fly private like everyone else.”

It’s a very interesting read full of what should be almost surreal quotes, but it actually makes perfect sense if you’re used to the subjective value of money.

Check it out and let me me know what you think:

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/08/opinion/sunday/what-the-rich-wont-tell-you.html

Yours,

—J

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